CARROLL COACH
Black with white striping; gear is black with yellow striping. Trimming: gold-on-gold damask.
An unusually fine example of a private coach of the mid-19th century, made to carry six persons in addition to the coachman and footman.
The woodcarving trim on this coach, which originally was owned by George W. Carroll of Carrollton, Isle of Wight County, Virginia, is of especial note. The carved double leaf motif is in keeping with the size of the coach. The Coach Makers’ Illustrated Hand-Book in its chapter on woodcarving warned that “The coach and carriage of smaller dimensions will not admit of great boldness in design, but every portion requiring decoration will admit of a well-conceived design and delicacy of workmanship.”
This coach has an unusual amount of white striping on the body and the carving has been emphasized by the addition of a white outline.
